Dharmendra Pradhan Accuses DMK Of ‘Ruining Students’ Future’ Over NEP Standoff

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday responded to the Tamil Nadu government’s opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language system, asserting that the Centre was not imposing any language on the state.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Pradhan stated that discussions had taken place between the Central and Tamil Nadu governments, with a compromise solution being proposed. “If the Tamil Nadu government agrees to that path, we have no objection in giving them PM SHRI allocation,” Pradhan said, as quoted by ANI.

Challenging the state’s resistance, Pradhan questioned the DMK-led government’s stance, saying, “In Tamil Nadu, only Tamil will be the medium of instruction in PM SHRI schools. What is the opposition about? I don’t understand this.” He also emphasized that several states, including Punjab, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, have implemented NEP without opposition. “No one is imposing any language on anyone… They (DMK) are doing politics,” he said.

DMK Hits Back, Rejects Pradhan’s Claims

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran strongly refuted Pradhan’s claim that the Tamil Nadu government had agreed to sign the NEP. Accusing the Union Minister of spreading misinformation, Maran said, “Dharmendra Pradhan lied by saying that the DMK government had agreed (to NEP). We never accepted NEP or the three-language policy. We simply said we cannot implement it.”

Maran further clarified that Tamil Nadu’s opposition was not directed against Hindi itself but against the mandatory imposition of a three-language system. “We are not against Hindi. If students wish to learn Hindi, they are free to do so. But it should not be made compulsory,” he stated.

Pradhan Accuses DMK of ‘Dishonesty’ in Parliament

The NEP debate escalated in Parliament, where Dharmendra Pradhan launched a sharp attack on the DMK, accusing the party of playing politics at the expense of students’ future.

“They (DMK) are dishonest. They are not committed to the students of Tamil Nadu. They are ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. Their only job is to raise language barriers. They are doing politics. They are doing mischief. They are undemocratic and uncivilised,” Pradhan alleged during his speech in the Lok Sabha.

The issue further led to a protest in the Rajya Sabha, where DMK MPs staged a walkout after raising concerns over the three-language policy and the delimitation issue.

Meanwhile, DMK workers in Coimbatore organized a demonstration condemning Pradhan’s remarks, particularly his accusation that the Tamil Nadu government was being “dishonest” about the NEP.

As the Centre and Tamil Nadu continue to clash over education policies, the debate on language imposition remains a politically charged issue in the state.

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